This is quite a hot topic right now in the BitTorrent community and you might already have read about it elsewhere. However the fact remains that Packme.in (PiN) is one of the most original trackers to hit the BitTorrent scene recently, both in terms of looks and concept. Up until now, ‘Packs’ on private trackers were seen as something that added value to the site. In fact packs were one of the main reasons that helped trackers such as SCC and ScT attain the ‘elite’ status they enjoy today. And now, we have a tracker that deals entirely with packs and the best news of all is that it’s ratio free. How cool is that?
From user classes (you start as a Donkey and proceed to become a JackAss, FatAss and so on) to the login system, originality is written all over Packme.in. Even the interface is heavily customized and you wouldn’t be able to tell it’s based on the good old TBDEV script at first. I bet you’ve seen many new trackers that do not even bother to edit the FAQ template that comes with TBDEV by default – well this is not one of them. Packme.in’s FAQ page (called WhatTheFAQ or WTFAQ) seems to be completely re-written and actually does include information relevant to the tracker.
Let’s not forget the fact that ‘The Donkey’ is a brand new private tracker. It was launched on the 2nd of July and the growth so far has been phenomenal. Over 125 packs have already been uploaded and the best part is that the site seems to have a very active user base ( it would be nice to have the option to sort torrents by number of leechers/seeders/snatches, etc- this functionality is currently not there).
As mentioned earlier Packme.in is a ratio free tracker but there are strict rules against hit and running:
Do not hit and run. You must seed or leech a torrent a total of 7 days whenever it has started downloading. You have 96 hours to seed or leech the first 72 hours (It does not have to be consecutive) and you have 1 month to seed the 7 days total. Regular hit and running will result in the disabling of your account.
Seeding rules might seem a little harsh at first but I think they are necessary to keep those huge torrents alive. Speaking of torrents and site content, it’s all about packs. All sorts of torrent collections including Anime, Apps, Audiobooks, eBooks, eVideos, Films, Games, Music Videos, Porn and TV packs are available here:
Although there is no upload:download ratio, the main ‘currency’ in PiN is Pack Points. With enough pack points you can purchase user class promotions, custom avatars, signatures and so on. All of this is done through the ‘Donkey Shop’. This system is somewhat similar to the one that is used in iTN tracker.
Unlike most new private trackers, Packme.in has never had an open signup and it’s unlikely that there will be one soon – currently users need an invitation code to become a member. However there are two ways you can easily obtain an invite; via E-mail request and via IRC interview. You can use either of these methods (but NOT both at the same time) to find a PiN invite.
If you are forwarding an invite request via E-mail, follow the process outlined below:
1. Create a blank E-mail. In the body of your E-mail please answer to the following questions as clearly as you can (write your answers next to the questions).
- Are you on any other private trackers? (If yes, please give as many profile links as you feel comfortable)
- Are you on any bittorrent forums? (If yes, please give as many profile links as you feel comfortable)
- Have you ever been banned or disabled from a torrent site? If yes, why?
- Are you staff at any bittorrent related tracker/forum? If yes, where?
- Are you a coder, designer, or other skilled user willing to lend his/her skills to PiN? (If yes, which one?)
- Would you like to be an uploader? (If yes, do you have a seedbox? Please give a speedtest)
2. Set the subject of your E-mail to “PiN invite – through FILEnetworks Blog”.
3. Send the E-mail to pininvites[at]gmail[dot]com
Invite applications will be reviewed by PiN staff – they might direct some follow up questions before sending an invite. Only the applicants approved by staff will be sent invites.
To make an invite request via IRC, join the official invites channel:
Server: irc.packme.in
Channel: #PackMe.IN
Direct Link: irc://irc.packme.in/packme.in
Once on the channel, check the topic for instructions.
If you are an IRC noob, check this article.
Good Luck!
Note: There is an ‘official review’ of Packme.in posted on their forums. This post however is an independent review by FILEnetworks which is purely based on our experience of the site.
